


I Think We're (not) Alone Now

by thekobra_jpg



Category: The Umbrella Academy (Comics), The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Child Abuse, Drag Queens, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Isolation, Kidnapping, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Number Five | The Boy Needs A Hug, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-10-30 15:40:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17831381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekobra_jpg/pseuds/thekobra_jpg
Summary: How the kids found out each other's powers.AKA the family bonding nobody asked for, a sprinkle of angst, and Sir Reginald being a grade A asshole.





	1. Luther

**Author's Note:**

> I just finished watching Umbrella Academy, and it's been driving me crazy, so I decided to do something about it. It's my first fic ever. It didn't follow the comics, but it got the characters down pretty good so all is forgiven. I really enjoyed it, so there better be season two (or I will riot).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luther fucks up some private property.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fic ever. Please leave lots of feedback! Thanks for reading!

They didn't always know Luther was strong. In fact, they didn't know that any of the children had powers until they had manifested, one by one. Sir Reginald had only adopted them in the first place because he had a sneaking suspicion that they were special, due to the strange (and slightly horrifying) circumstances of their births. The powers, it seems, were just an extra bonus.

They found out Luther's power when they were all five. They had playing one of their rare games of hide-and-seek, (they were only allowed to play around two times a week. Three if Sir Reginald was feeling generous). Most of their time was consumed by studies, physical training exercises, and various nannies dogging them about eating their vegetables to "Grow up big and strong!". Turns out Luther didn't really need to eat his vegetables to do just that. (He ate them anyways, though. Anything to please Sir.)

They had been at it for about an hour, and this time it was Luther's turn to be It. The other six scrambled around the mansion as he counted down, giggling and frantically searching for hiding places. They didn't have to search hard, however; The mansion was vast and expansive compared to their small bodies.

When he finished counting ("Here I come!" He boomed), Luther took off at a hard sprint to the stairs. He found Number Three first, hiding behind the thick velvet curtains in one of the sitting rooms, giggling too hard to keep quiet.

They found Number Four and Number Six hiding in the kitchen under the table together,  sharing a sandwich.

(One: "What are you doing?"

Four: "What does it look like? We're eating, stupid. It's called _multitasking._ " Six just shrugged, his mouth full of peanut butter.)

Number Seven was found behind the sofa that Pogo was sitting on, reading in the living room. She glared at Pogo in betrayal for not misleading the others away from her.

("It is unbecoming for me to interfere, my dear. That would be cheating," he told her.)

Number Two was found hiding in their Mother's skirt, her mechanical insides and the poufy skirt she wore the perfect space for him to fit under.

That just left Number Five. Five was the sneakiest of all of them, his feet light and breathing so quiet you had to strain to hear it. They had been searching for him for ten minutes before Six had the gall to look up.

"Guys," he called, and pointed at the ornate chandelier hanging in the foyer. Five was sitting on it, cool as a cat, his feet swinging free in the air. He smirked down at them as they all murmured in confusion as to how the he got up there. He hadn't told them about his powers yet, keeping them secret. He liked the feeling of knowing something that the rest of them didn't.

Luther squinted at him, and took up chase. He dashed up the stairs, all the way to the top, and climbed onto the railing. Five followed him with his eyes, his face growing confused, and then shocked. Luther jumped from the bannister onto the chandelier, sending it swinging. It was a good five feet from all other surfaces. If he looked back, he would see that the bannister had two foot shaped dents in it.

Five grasped wildly at the chandelier so he wouldn't go flying off, and the others looked up at them in awe. Luther looked down at their astonished faces.

"What?" They all pointed to the bannister. "Uh oh. Sir is going to kill me," he paused. "You guys can't do that?" They shook their heads mutely. He looked at Five in question, who just quirked one of his perfectly sculpted eyebrows and delicately shrugged.

It took Pogo a half an hour to get Luther and Five down from the chandelier using a ladder and a variety of hooks and cables. The both of them got a stern talking to for pulling a stunt like that, but it wasn't uncommon in the years later to find them perched, whispering together in high places after missions.

++++

When they were fourteen, after Five disappeared, after Reginald deemed Seven to not be special, after the Eiffel Tower went berserk, Luther started sneaking up to the rooftop at night. He would gaze up at the sky, dreaming of space and living among the stars, soothed by the sweet, blissful silence. It was the sixth time that he went up, and showed no signs of stopping, when Sir Reginald decided to put an end to it. Luther had only been up there all of five minutes when he was interrupted by a large hand firmly grasping his bicep, with almost bruising force.

"Nighttime is not for dilly-dallying, Number One, nor is it for daydreaming on the roof" Reginald scolded as he dragged him down the hallway. "I will not see you up there again. You will be at breakfast at the normal time tomorrow morning," he said, and tossed him into his bedroom. He locked the door. Luther was benched for the next three missions for his insolence, and his workload tripled during that time as punishment. He did not go to the roof again, but his dreams of space had not been quenched.

He didn't realize what kind of hell it was to live up there in isolation until he did, sixteen years later.


	2. Diego

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diego!!!!!! This gets pretty dark. Totally didn't mean to make this chapter so long and gruesome. Whoops!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and support!!!! Really did not expect all of that. If I have typos or whatever, let me know so that I can fix it! I just watched show and saw there wasn't a lot written yet, and I was like well.... here we go. I wrote it so that they all get names when they're about thirteen, right after Five disappeared, so that's why he doesn't have one. I'll go into detail with that later, don't worry :) Enjoy!

Diego's power, considering the subtlety, took a little longer than Luther's to find out. Even longer to find his secondary one.

It all started when he went to help Grace cook them dinner at the ripe old ago of six. He had finished his lessons and training exercises for the day, but the others hadn't. There was no point in going to bother Sir Reginald, and Pogo was likely doing something important for Sir, so that just left Grace.

Grace had only joined them a year prior, made to be Seven's nanny, but instead, ended up being a pseudo mother to the rest of the children as well. Diego especially had taken an affinity to her. She didn't look at him with eyes that clouded with pit when he stuttered or stumbled over his words. She also didn't look at him with a cold and calculating expression, like he was something to be studied, an experiment, a thing. Like Reginald looked at him, and the rest of his siblings.

Diego sighed, and stretched his legs, trying to shake off the cold from the large house. He turned off his desk lamp, and padded down the stairs to the dome shaped kitchen. It smelled like baking bread, and a hazy mix of herbs and spices. He turned the corner and saw Grace at the stove, stirring a pot of... something. He was too short to see what was inside, but that didn't matter. Whatever it was smelled like heaven incarnate.

"Hi Grace," he tried. She turned to look at him. Her makeup was immaculate, and her apron was settled on her body, not a wrinkle in sight.

"Hello Number Two. Is there something you need?" She asked. There was a small smile fixed upon her face. Too perfect to be natural, but still comforting nonetheless.

"I was wo-wondering I-if you n-needed any h-help" He stated.

"Of course, dear. Why don't you go get a knife and chop up that onion for me? We can put it in the sauce," She offered. He nodded, grateful for something to do instead of being sent away. He grabbed a stool and stood next to Grace, thanking her as she handed him an onion half. When he went to make the first cut, his left hand went on autopilot. It chopped up the onion without him having to think about it at all. All too quick and too efficient for someone of six. He froze and looked at Grace in shock.

"Uh," he questioned, eyes wide. She sent for Sir Reginald in response. Diego was not sent to bed until two hours past their bedtime, Reginald running him ragged with various tests and exercises. It was determined that he had an affinity to knives of any kind, and was promptly made a customized set for missions.

++++

His secondary power was discovered in a much less domestic or forgiving setting.

When the children were fourteen, a few months after Five had disappeared, they were kidnapped on a mission. The mission, it turns out, had only been a distraction. Whatever organization that wanted to take over the world that week actually wanted to brainwash the Academy into helping them. With the Academy on their side, they were guaranteed success on whatever various plans they had for world domination.

They were held in a small room, the five of them, and had various incapacitations to their respective powers. Diego's hands were cuffed and his weapons stripped. To his right he could see Allison's mouth was taped shut and her hands cuffed to the ground. To his left, Luther in heavy shackles. Across from him slumped Ben, also in shackles, likely sedated up to his eyes. Klaus was unconscious and bound as well, next to him. They had all been removed of their socks and shoes.

'This is not,' he thought, 'an ideal situation.' He made eye contact with Luther, and quirked an eyebrow. Luther tried his chains, and shrugged. So much for that. All they could do now was wait. At least whatever evil corporation they were facing gave them a bucket.

They must have been there for at least a few hours when the door screeched open, and a man in scrubs and a doctor's mask was silhouetted in the doorway.

"Two," His gruff voice said. Diego glared at him, and Luther yelled, muffled by duct tape. Two men emerged from behind the Doctor guy and hoisted him by the arms and placed a burlap sack on his head. They were not gentle, and he knew that they would leave bruises. Diego was effectively blinded.

He tried to follow the turns and stairs they took to wherever they were taking him, but he got dizzy there were so many of them, so he couldn't. This place was a maze. It felt like they had been walking forever when they finally stopped, and he was shoved down to his knees. His shorts offered him no protection against the cold tile of the floor. He blinked rapidly as the bag was yanked off of his head. He was in a fluorescent lit room, in front of a large tub of icy water. It was a literal bathtub- it looked like wherever they were used to be a large bathroom, but the toilet and sinks had all been ripped out, leaving gaping holes in the walls.

Oh boy.

The doctor guy walked around Diego with his hands clasped behind his back, in a manner that tried to look threatening. Diego didn't buy it. He sat through the monologue, hearing bits of blah blah, domination, blah blah, academy, blah blah assets. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Am I boring you?" Doctor guy asked. "Fine. Let's wake you up."

The hand dropped him and were replaced by sudden, harsh blows. Punches to the face, kicks to the stomach, (the usual) all closed fist. It felt like forever, and they were all painful as fuck. He'd had training in pain tolerance, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He spat at them.

He struggled as they lifted him up and pulled off his shirt down to bunch up at his handcuffs. He kicked out, a sickening crunch under his foot (a nose?) and he was rewarded by a sharp hit to his stomach. Stunned, they threw him in the tub and pushed him under.

The cold was unlike anything he has ever felt before, bordering painful. He struggled and thrashed like a fish out of water (Haha) but the hands holding him down were unyielding. So he held his breath and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

He felt no need to breathe, no struggle to feed his lungs oxygen. The hands ripped away from his body, and he finally sat up. It was Luther and the others. Apparently Ben had woken up, and he was less than happy.

"Ab-bout t-time, you-you g-guys." He chattered in irritation. They gawked at him.

"They had a screen," Klaus said," They were showing us what they were doing to you. You were under for over five minutes!"

Diego shivered. "G-get me outta these."

++++

When they were back at the Academy, Pogo had ushered them into the living room to tend to Diego's wounds and give them all a thorough checking over. It was only when they were huddled around the fire (and a cold steak pressed to Diego's face) that Diego saw Luther lean into Reginald's space and whisper to him. He was probably telling him about his brother's newfound power. Diego rolled his eyes. What a kiss-ass.


	3. Allison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison's turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about that last chapter guys. I didn't expect it to get dark and shit, it just kinda came out. In the comics Diego actually does have the secondary power to hold his breath for an indefinite amount of time, so it's completely canonical. This chapter has been stewing in my head because honestly, how the hell does someone find out she alters reality when uttering the words, "I heard a rumor"?! But then I did some more research. She doesn't have to say those words- she just alters reality with her voice. Cool...

Allison always had a tendency to get what she wanted. She would ask for something, or say something completely untrue, and nature would comply to make it so. People were drawn in by her voice, no matter the age, intelligence, or power. Mother nature, it seemed, did not apply to her.

The first time she lied and reality rippled, she had done so covering for Klaus and Ben for committing the classic child's crime- stealing cookies.

The children were lined up in the kitchen in a row, all seven of them, in rank. Hands clasped behind their backs, blazers pressed and ties knotted identically, chins up and shoulders rolled back, they were picture perfect students. Picture perfect soldiers. This was all an illusion, as they were still young and immature. They knew one of them had done something wrong. Best behavior was to be initiated for the least intensive punishment to be incurred upon them.

Sir Reginald paced before them, monocle settled perfectly in his eye and a white eyebrow quirked. His mouth was pressed in a thin line- he did not take to rules being broken well. How would the children save the world if they could not follow the simplest rule?

He stopped sharply before Luther, who stiffened in response. His spine straightened more than Allison thought was even possible.

"Number One," Hargreeves reprimanded, "Did you..... take the cookie from the cookie jar?"

Luther crunched his eyebrows together in confusion. Klaus stifled a giggle, earning a glare from Five. Diego's eye twitched, and Allison pressed her lips together to form a thin line.

"I'm sorry, sir, what?"

"You know what I said, One. Just answer the question."

"....No," started Luther. He was still as confused as before and cocked his head. Before he could ask for further clarification, Sir moved on.

"Two," He loomed.

"N-no, sir, " replied Diego, shoulders hunched around his ears. "I was h-helping Grace in the liv-living room." Reginald hummed, and looked at the woman in question. She nodded confirmation, and Diego sighed in relief.

A step toward Allison. Then another. Then he was right in front of her, and then he kept going, until he was standing in front of Klaus with knowing eyes.

Uh oh. Klaus was a terrible liar, and she knew that his punishment would be less than savory, considering the fact that he had gotten in trouble less than a week earlier. She didn't want to see him suffer; he was so nice to her.

"I did it," she blurted. Reginald turned back to her.

"How is that," he asked, "When there is chocolate on your brother's fingertips?" He held up Klaus's hands to show proof.

He was met with nothing. In this moment, Allison knew. She felt the stickiness on her fingers and slowly held them up.

'I'm sorry, " she started, "I couldn't help myself. Grace makes the best cookies." Reginald squinted, and nodded in acknowledgement; This was a true statement. However, he was positive he had seen the chocolate on Number Four first.

"Four," he said, "you know the rules. You will meet me in my office for your punishment at six AM tomorrow, no later." Klaus swallowed, and nodded meekly. He turned back to Allison.

"And you," he said, "you will come with me now," and took her by the hand. She looked back at her siblings, and they gazed back with worried eyes. She locked eyes with Klaus, and he nodded. He knew what she had tried to do.

Allison was up until one AM, with Reginald running tests on her, and when she climbed into bed, her throat was sore, and her eyes were puffy from crying. Having heard her, Klaus crept into bed with her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, voice shaking. "You shouldn't have tried to stand up for me like that, you know it was me."

"It's ok. I found out I have a power because of you," she replied. "Thank you."

They drifted off to a dreamless sleep together, until Klaus had to get up in the morning. A few years later, when she was struggling with controlling herself, it was Klaus who came up with the idea for her to initiate her power with the words "I heard a rumour" as a joke on how much she gossiped with her friends from school. She scoffed at the insult, but used it anyways. She never told him how much it helped her until their father had died.

If Allison found skirts missing from her closet when they were teens, she pretended not to notice. It was the least she could do.


	4. Klaus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What most of you have been waiting for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been so goddamn busy y'all. Sundays will likely be my update days. Thanks for all of your support!!!! Send me comments and kudos. All the powers used are canon in the comics. I hope I did Klaus justice.

Ghosts

It is common knowledge that most children have imaginary friends, and Klaus was no exception. Except for the fact that he was- those so called imaginary friends were not as imaginary as everyone thought, but nobody knew that until Klaus was older.

His first gift manifested a mere six weeks after he was born, and as an infant he would giggle at seemingly empty corners of the house, and babble gibberish at nobody.

When he was five, he had an 'imaginary friend' named Sarah. Reginald allowed this fantasy for a short while, but when Klaus showed no signs of stopping in the presence of the various guests at charity balls or galas, he cracked down.

"Number Four," he scolded, "It is unbecoming to act in such a childish manner in front of our esteemed guests. You must stopped this nonsense at once." Klaus had nodded in resignation, and skulked off into an unoccupied corner where Ben was currently residing. But Sarah had not gone away (much to Klaus's chagrin), and followed him in a melancholy silence for two more years before she disappeared. He didn't mind. She had always scared him, in a way.

When Klaus became truly afraid of ghosts was when he first saw those that had died in a truly horrible fashion. The Academy had a brush with a serial killer, and Klaus was forced to live every minute of torture the victims had gone through when they came to him with their burdens. He had nightmare for weeks after that. Reginald, of course, caught on to what was happening and thought that Klaus's fear of his power was irrational.

He locked him in a mausoleum for twelve hours.

His siblings tried to comfort him, but they each had their own burdens to bear. So Klaus began his life as an addict- sex, pills, booze, cigarettes, you name it, he took it. Anything to keep them away.

++++

Levitation

The first time he levitated, Luther had snuck up on him as a joke. Klaus jumped in surprise.... and didn't come back down. Translucent blue bubbles floated around him, like little fairies, or small jellyfish.

"Klaus," Luther's eyebrows scrunched together. It seemed to be an annoying habit of his brother's when he was worried.

"...Yes?"

"What, uh, what."

"Uhhhhh," he tried. "I dunno?" He looked around, and vaguely floated towards a corner of the room, gently bumping into a wall on the way over. Luther gaped, his left eye twitching.

Reginald walked into the room, and Klaus fell to the floor with a sad little _thump_.

To put it lightly, the experiments didn't stop for five days, and the rest of the Academy ate dinner alone. If they weren't afraid of their father before, they certainly were now. When the horrors stopped, and Reginald was satisfied (at least, as satisfied as that man could be), Five and Luther found him, huddled in his bed. The lights were off, and shadows cast the walls of his poster plastered bedroom.

"Hey, Mr. I see dead people," said Five, and poked the Klaus-shaped lump in front of him. "Want to join our club?"

"What club?" Klaus sniffled. "Also, did you just quote that Bruce Willis movie at me?" He was wrapped like a human burrito in his thick and fluffy duvet. He had bad circulation, so Grace had bought it for him and made a cover for it. It was one of his most prized possessions, next to the stone beaded bracelet Vanya had made for him for his birthday the year before. According to her, the rocks apparently had healing qualities to them.

"I'm not uncultured, unlike some people," Grumbled Five.

"So he is human," Teased Klaus.

"The club," Luther said, interrupting their jabs, "is where we sit in high places and gossip after missions, etc. The high places is a requirement."

Klaus sat up, an oversized t-shirt falling off of the side of his shoulder. His eyes were red and puffy, but he accepted with an enthusiasm that they didn't think he had the energy for.

++++

Possession

Klaus went to his first pride parade when he was fourteen, and it took an insane amount of wheedling, bribing, and pleading for Reginald to give in. He gave him twenty dollars and a warning to be careful and be back home by seven.

There was no way for Klaus to describe it. The day was sunny and clear, and people that flooded the streets were clad in glittery, bright clothing. Everywhere he turned, he saw feather boas, eyes coated in eyeliner, various high heeled boots and strappy shoes. Men kissing men, women kissing women, groups of people knit together like it was the most natural thing in the world. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

He pushed his way to the front of the crowd that was waiting for the parade to come through, and by the time he was to the front he had acquired three condoms, a travel packet of lube, and a bright pink feather boa that the drag queens were giving away. He was dusted in gold glitter, and his smile was the widest it had ever been in his life.

The parade passed by, and a float full of drag queens dancing to (you guessed it) Queen was the thing that stole his attention. The way they moved, their faces, their flair, their  _freedom,_ and pure unadulterated joy captivated him like no other. One of the queens caught him staring and winked at him, and in that moment, there was nobody that he had wanted to be more.

And then it happened. He was on the float, but he was in the crowd, he was a man, but a boy, wearing heels and sneakers and glitter was all around him. Music pounded in his ears, close and far away all at once. He fainted the same time that the queen did, but he didn't know that.

He woke up in a tent that protected him from the beating sun with an icepack on his forehead, the queen sitting next to him. Her shoes were off and she was staring at him.

"Well, honey," She drawled in a deep southern accent, "That was one strange occurrence. You're part of that Umbrella thing, aren't you?" He nodded shyly, and she tipped her head knowingly, lighting a cigarette. "The name's Brandy. You ever try that voodoo shit on me again and I'll kick your ass."

"I'm sorry, that's. That's never happened to me before, I don't know what happened," He explained. "Please forgive me," tears swelled in his eyes.

Brandy's eyes widened and she stubbed out the cigarette hurriedly.

"Oh, darlin," She cooed, "It ain't no thing. you just gotta be more careful in the future. You better tell that daddy of yours about this, or I think some strange happenings will be occurring, you hear?" It was common knowledge at this point on how the Academy worked in hierarchy. The children were practically celebrities after their debut at the bank robbery years prior.

He sniffed. "I really don't know what happened. I have to get home now though. It's almost five and I have to take the bus."

"Ok, honey. You take care of yourself, though. You call me if you need anything, yeah?" She handed him a card with a phone number written in gold glitter pen.

++++

He never did call her, but he kept the card on his nightstand- It was a small comfort to him, to know someone outside of his family cared. When he got home, he followed her instructions and told Reginald what had happened. He knew what would come of it, the experiments and terror, but he knew that learning control through training was better than keeping it secret and losing it later. He knew that his other powers were dangerous- who knew what this one could entail? As much as he hated to do it, telling Reginald of his self discovery was better than the alternatives. The alternatives that could easily hurt others. He could handle it when he got hurt- drown it in drugs, he would say with glee- but when someone else got harmed because of him? A loved one?

Never again.

++++

Vietnam was hell, and then he met Dave.

Then it was hell, but with Dave! The love of his life! The man of his dreams!

...The man of his dreams who died. Everyone in Klaus's life dies. It's like one of the rules of the universe. The sky is blue, dogs bark at mailmen, and if you're friends with Klaus, you die.

The depressing reality of humanity.

And then Klaus realized that he doesn't have to follow the same rules as everyone else, and Ben standing next to him is walking proof.

It's time to get sober. It's time to see Dave again.


	5. Number Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My fave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, y'all. I've been sick and have lost all motivation to do anything whatsoever. Thank you for your patience! Leave lots of comments and feedback!!! Also, Five needs a hug. Points for people who recognize my love Dick Grayson's cameo

Five had known about his power long before the others and Reginald did- he was just very good at keeping it a secret. And then one day, he made a mistake.

Five was sitting in the living room with Vanya, nose buried in a riveting science fiction novel. All things going on around him were deemed irrelevant and were prominently ignored.

He was so engrossed that he put his nose too far into the book, and every time he turned a page the paper's musty smell wafted up into his face.

Everything was fine until he sneezed.

He jumped, startled at the sudden feeling of  falling (The only feeling you could get when you fall asleep too fast and your body jerks you awake. But Five, well he was wide awake this entire time). Cold tile rushed up underneath him, knocking the wind out of him, and he found himself sprawled in the middle of an ice cream parlor. A variety of shocked and fearful faces stared at him, backsplashed by sickeningly bright walls. An ice cream cone fell to the floor with a soft  _splat._

He looked down at his book, and noticed he had lost his place.

“Shit.” And then he passed out cold.

++++

Vanya was enjoying a quiet afternoon in the living room with Five when she heard him sneeze.

“Bless you,” She said automatically, eyes still glued to the page. At hearing no response, she looked over to see that he had vanished. Oh boy.

“FATHER!”

++++

"Hey, buddy..."

"Is... alright?"

"Where the hell... come from,"

"...Uniform..."

"Call... Parents?"

"Nnnnnngh" He protested, eyes still closed. There was no way he would allow his father to hear about this, he wasn't ready to be subjected to that... torture. He just wanted to go back to sleep, but.... he had to get out of here first.

"Hey little buddy, how ya feeling?" someone asked. He squinted open his eyes to see a police officer gazing down at him, hat at a slight angle. He looked worried. Why did he look worried?

He was middle aged, with dark hair, blue eyes. Tan skin. He looked nice enough, but. Police.

There was no way was he going to let the police get involved with this. He knew what they did to people who where... different. The ones who weren't protected, like the Umbrella Academy.

Five squinted at him. "Do shut up," he snarked, and started to get up, only to have the officer's hand stop him gently.

"Might not want to do that, son. Looks like you're all tuckered out. We gotta get the paramedics to check you out," he reasoned. "And we need to call your parents."

"That won't be necessary," Five said, and broke through the hand. He brushed off his uniform, and picked up his book. The cover was torn.

"Tsk," he shook his head, and walked out of the parlor.

Now to figure out where the hell he was, and how to get back home before Reginald noticed he was missing.

++++

He didn't have to walk long. It turns out, he had teleported a mere three blocks away, and he was back home within the hour.

However, that's where his luck ran out. Pogo and Vanya were waiting for him in the foyer. Vanya instantly looked like she regretted every choice she had made in life when she saw him.

"In his office," Pogo intoned.

"Shit."

"Language," rang out, as he stalked to his father's office.

++++

Five was sitting on his bed, facing the wall, when Vanya entered his room after knocking softly.

"Five?" She asked. He made no gesture that he knew she was there except for a slight nod of his head. "I was worried when you didn't show up for dinner. I know you were talking to father, but... you were gone a long time and.... I got worried."

She sat with him on his bed for a long time, waiting, before he said anything.

"I.... it was an accident," He croaked. His voice was hoarse and scratchy. "I didn't want to be gone that long, but.... I didn't want him to know. I've heard things, from Klaus, Allison. Hell, even Luther."

".... Heard what?"

He turned to her then, and she saw the extent of the damage. His eyes were red and puffy, face drawn with exhaustion. he was very pale, and small beads of sweat were gathered at his temples. It looked like he had just broken a fever.

"They never told you?" He asked. She shook her head, waiting for him to elaborate. "He... pushes you. To your limits. However long it takes until you break from exhaustion or pain. Remember when Luther found out his power? When we were playing hide and seek?" she nodded again. "That night he had him lifting weights, running for long periods of time, all sorts of things. He ran... tests on him. He runs tests on all of us. He calls it 'training'," he spat, "but really it's just torture for his own means. To him..." His voice broke. "To him, we're just lab rats. We were never children, much less his."

There were tears running down her cheeks now, and she was shaking her head in disbelief.

"I'm so sorry," She whispered. "I'm so sorry I never knew. What can I do to help?"

He paused, then stood up, and took her hands in his. "We need to others for this." And they went to go find them.

++++

They sat in a loose circle in Luther's room, and it was one in the morning by now. It wasn't the first time they had their little meetings, but it was the first time Vanya had been to one. All former meetings had to do with their missions and compartmentalizing them.

"I want to help you guy," Said Vanya.

"How?" questioned Diego. "Wh-what could you poss-possibly do for us?"

"Diego!" Allison chastised. Five glared at him.

"That's what we're here to figure out. She's our sister, and she wants to help. There's no harm in letting her. It'll probably even be beneficial."

"How about I help... After?" Vanya offered, "Since I can't prevent father from doing things to you, what if I help you guys out afterwards?" Ben nodded in agreement.

"It would be nice to have someone to talk to. Mom just... doesn't understand" He mumbled.

Diego looked shocked. "I guess I-I didn't th-think of that-t," He amended.

"So it's decided then," Claimed Luther. "Vanya's now our man behind the scenes. Taking care of us after the down and dirty has happened. Lord knows I don't have the delicacy of dressing wounds and stuff." They all nodded and pitched in various agreements. A week later, Allison gave her a paper nurse's hat as a joke.

++++

The second Five looked upon the wreckage of the burning world around him, he knew he had made a mistake by jumping forward in time. When he saw the Academy had burned down along with the rest of the world, his heart sunk low into his stomach. When he heard no reply to his desperate pleas for his family, it sunk lower.

Then he saw the eyeball, and the face of the dead man holding it. That... frustratingly familiar face. Familiar in the way when you see an old picture of someone you know as a child, but reversed. The face of someone you know, but... they're older.

The man looked like Luther. His worst fears were confirmed when he saw their tattoos, marking them as his own.

His family was dead.

Everyone was gone.

He didn't find Ben or Vanya's bodies, but he knew it was unlikely that they survived if the others didn't.

He sat on the steps of the Academy for hours, reading the newspaper over and over again until the words burned themselves into his eyelids.

_It's a perfect day. Nothing bad to report._

He stood up and buried his family. It took him three days.

++++

He learned of Ben's death sitting in a half standing library, reading a book that Vanya wrote when they were in their twenties. Ballsy of her, but not undeserved, after how Reginald treated her.

What he wouldn't give to see that crass old fucker again. He did bad things yes, but... Five was lonely. He would give anything to see another person, hell, another living being that wasn't a cockroach.

Out of everything, the loneliness was the worst. Not the lack of food, or unpredictable weather, or having to build himself shelter out of nothing.

The fact that he would be alone, in solitude, possibly for the rest of his life was almost crippling itself.

He knew he was fucked when Delores started talking to him, but he went with it anyways- it was better than the alternative. He never stopped working on the equations to get back home, even after he joined the Handler in her crusade and the agency. Being an assassin was only a means to and end, even if he was the best of the best.

He just wanted to go home. Because Five isn't a quitter. Five doesn't stop until he gets what he wants.

Ever.

++++

He was less than pleased to find that he returned to the future in his thirteen year old body, but at least he got to see his family again, even if they would all die in eight days.

He almost cried when he saw Vanya. He missed her the most, with her understanding nature and open ears. Her welcome arms and soft hugs. An Klaus, sweet, loving Klaus, who would sneak him extra sweets and kept his secrets for him. But he couldn't let them see his softness, his weakness. Assassins don't cry. Besides, he had a mission. Save the world, save lives, and all that. If he only focused on the mission so that he wouldn't have a mental breakdown, so be it (But hey, it worked, in the end. Sort of.).

He was just happy that he was with his family when it happened.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [How They Happened](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17889038) by [Demonic_Moose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demonic_Moose/pseuds/Demonic_Moose)




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